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Volunteer

Hennepin County Library is proud of its talented and diverse group of over 2,000 volunteers who currently donate their time. Community volunteers help us achieve a Hennepin County where library services ensure every person has the opportunity and resources to read, graduate, engage, work and learn.

Opportunities are available for teens (ages 12 and up) to volunteer for fun, school, church, or scouting credit. Teen volunteers are needed to complete a variety of tasks, which may include helping with programs, creating displays, working with books, working with technology, participating in a Teen Action Group (TAG), and more. Positions are available at multiple locations. Please check with your local Hennepin County library.

To fulfill a requirement for court, probation or a diversion program, community service is available at Hennepin County libraries, depending on location, time needed, and volunteer openings. All positions require good organizational and communication skills.

It may take up to three weeks to process your request before you can begin your volunteer hours. Please allow enough time to complete your hours before the deadline.

Why volunteer at the library?

Support Hennepin County Library — one of the top library systems in the nation.

Get experience and receive verification of your volunteer work or letters of recommendation for school or resumes.

Get Omnitheater tickets

Omnitheater Tickets

Library volunteers who have worked hours can receive up to two free tickets to the Science Museum's Omnitheater and admission to the Science Museum.

Next show: Journey To Space

Journey To Space puts the enormous contributions of the shuttle program into an historical context of humankind’s continuing aspiration to explore the unknown, and provides a visually stunning scenario developed by leading experts on exactly how astronauts will get to Mars, live there for 2 years, and safely return to earth.

In addition to looking forward, “Journey To Space” also looks back at the shuttle program and the role it played in assembling the International Space Station.

Thursday, February 26; RSVP by Tuesday, February 17

Thursday, March 26; RSVP by Tuesday, March 17

Thursday, April 30; RSVP by Tuesday, April 21

Shows are at 6 p.m.; pick up tickets by 5:45 p.m.

Please call 612-543-8636 for reservations.

Movie showings are subject to change without notice.

Donate

Before going to a Hennepin County library to donate materials, please contact that location for more information and to confirm that donations are currently being accepted.

HCL accepts donations of books and AV materials that are in good condition. The library does not accept books with mold, handwriting, or highlighting; magazines; Reader's Digest condensed books; or textbooks.

Donated books and other materials will be added to the library collection or sold in book sales to benefit the Library. The Library does not provide appraisals and does not accept materials that are not outright gifts.

What happens to donated materials

Staff will determine if the material will be added to the library collection or given to the Friends of HCL to be sold in a book sale to benefit the Library. Materials that contain outdated information about health, science, business, etc. will be recycled.

Once you donate an item, the gift becomes the property of the Library or the Friends of HCL. We are unable to return donated materials.

Value

By law, we cannot determine the value of a donation for tax purposes. We can supply you with a letter that acknowledges the donation you made to the Library.

Please include a cover letter, a fact sheet with standard bibliographic information (ISBN, cost, publisher, etc.), and copies of reviews by standard review media (professional journals or newspapers), if available.

The title will be evaluated as would any other title being considered for the collection. Because of the volume of these requests, the Library is unable to return submitted materials or respond directly to each author or artist.

We welcome donations to our collections to increase their research value and preserve the record of our shared heritage. Contact Special Collections to discuss whether we can accept your donation or suggest a more appropriate recipient for your donation.

Please discuss preparation of the donation with staff before sorting, weeding or reorganizing your collections. It is often helpful for us to receive collections in their original order. Materials which seem unimportant may be significant in light of our other collections.

You may be asked to sign a donation agreement to document the transfer of ownership. Any material donated becomes the property of the Library. Transfer of materials does not affect the copyright status unless materials are specifically owned by the donor and the rights are specifically transferred to the Library.

We do not appraise materials or collections. It is the donor's responsibility to determine the monetary value of donated items.

What we collect

From businesses, organizations and government agencies based or operating in Minneapolis or Hennepin County:

Annual reports, financial reports, meeting minutes

Newletters or other organization publications

Research or other special reports

Legal documents

Architectural records, maps and diagrams

House or building histories

Catalogs, programs, menus or other descriptions or schedules of products or services

Yearbooks from colleges, academies, and public and private secondary and elementary schools

Manuals, guides or other instructional materials produced by the organization and related to their operations

What we don't collect

Routine financial information such as receipts, statements, invoices or ledgers

Material not directly related to Minneapolis or Hennepin County subjects

Photographs with no date or time frame or unidentified subjects

Art work will be considered on a case-by-case basis but is not normally collected

Why donate?

The records of individuals, organizations, businesses and communities provide important historical information about our community.

Donated records are arranged, described, preserved and made accessible by professional staff.

The records will become part of our community's heritage and made available to everyone and preserved for future generations.

Use of all parts of the collection is free and available to the public.

Collections are used extensively by students, researchers, writers, artists, teachers, architects, business persons and other library patrons.

Be a Friend

Friends of the Hennepin County Library

Friends of the Hennepin County Library is an active community of supporters – helping the Library fulfill its mission to nourish minds, transform lives and build community. By raising critically needed funds for books, movies, music, events and technology, and through presentation of the highly regarded Pen Pals and Talk of the Stacks author series, the Friends of the Hennepin County Library enhances the potential and enriches the resources of the Library.